It’s true that people who have a taste for good food are also great cooks themselves. Or is it vice versa? If you think I’m trying to toot my own horn.. well..maybe I am in a subtle kind of way;). I like to think that it’s all in the family, so I may be guilty of bragging a bit here.
It’s my husband I’m talking about, who is a big foodie himself. He’s a road warrior so one may think that all the travelling would have killed his taste buds, but I think it’s only helped grow his taste for all things food. He tends to have this sense for “sniffing” down the best eateries wherever he travels. Though I have to add that he is a little partial to Indian food, so a lot of his travel favorites tend to be Indian eateries. He has quite a database of favorites, which gives me an idea to to start a section on this blog of his restaurant reviews , to aid travellers looking for great eats. Coming soon..
Well, the good news is that Girish doesn’t just have a taste for good food, he is a great cook too…(notice the too there…didn’t I say I was bragging just a little bit)! All kidding aside, he has excelled at making some choice dishes which I will try to share here. Of course, that would mean he would need to cook more often so I think these mentions are a great incentive that will mutually benefit us.
I do have to add on a more serious note that he is the true inspiration behind this food journal. His drive and enthusiasm has been the force in getting this site up and running and to get me to do something I enjoy. Girish, this one is for all your love and support! Couldn’t have been better timing to include one of your entries in this blog. Roz ka Khana turned 2 months this week. Small achievement I know compared to some biggies out there, but thank you for coming along this far.
Here’s Girish’s recipe for Karuvepilai Kuzhambu, a Kuzhambu (soup or stew) variety that is a popular dish in Tamil Nadu. I have seen various versions of this recipe online, but here’s Girish’s original recipe that I think is the best;)
I do have to add a comment on the vessel that he used to make this dish. A kachitti as it is called in Tamil is a stone vessel, and is popular in Tamil Nadu to make all kozhambus. Like the eeyya chombu or the amalgamated metal vessel used for making rasam in my previous post, cooking kozhambu in a kachitti adds to the taste. It’s also said that a day old kuzhambu in the kachitti tastes even better. Let’s just say we’ve been there, done that and coudn’t agree more!
Ingredients:
15-20 curry leaves
20-30 Peppercorns
3 tsp jeera
Asafoetida (a pinch)
3 tsp sesame oil (Til Oil)
Tamarind pulp (Lemon size tamarind soaked in water and made into a pulp)
Salt to taste
Jaggery – a small piece
1. Take the curry leaves, jeera, peppercorns and some of the tamarind pulp and grind to a smooth paste.
2. Add some water to the remaining tamarind pulp (about 1- 1 1/2 cup water to 1 cup of tamarind pulp). The result should be a soup like consistency, not too watery, not too thick.
3. Take a heavy bottomed vessel or kachitti if you own one. Add the sesame oil to it and heat it on a low flame. After the oil gets hot, add the asafoetida first. Wait till it starts to smoke a little (make sure it doesn’t burn just enough to get an aroma), then add the jeera or cumin seeds.
4. After about 2 minutes, add the tamarind water, then add the jeera-peppercorn paste. Add salt to taste. Turn the flame to low and cook for about 10 minutes. The mixture will start to boil and thicken a little.
5. Add the piece of jaggery and boil for another 5 minutes. The kuzhambu should now resemble a thickened soup.
Enjoy with hot white rice and some dry vegetable and vadam(vadiyalu/ or chips.
[…] Travel Bites… Did I mention in one of my prior entries that I have a road warrior turned foodie in my family? I also suggested that I’d like to ask […]